The University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University have launched a £650m initiative to improve digital skills across Scotland. The venture aims to transform Edinburgh into the “data capital of Europe”.

The initiative is set to train 100,000 people in data skills over the next ten years, from computer science specialists to data analysts.

The two universities said they will increase the provision of data science teaching as well as support schools across the region to provide digital skills training and teaching.

The Scottish Government’s Digital Strategy, published last year, included plans to tackle digital skills gap. Indeed, it was estimated that Scotland is in need of around 13,000 data specialists each year.

It was also announced that the region’s supercomputing capabilities will be enhanced with investment which will help about 1,000 organisations to use data and to innovate within their sectors.

Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell, said, “This exciting project – backed by £270m of UK Government investment – will ensure that the UK leads the world in technologies of the future and benefits from the economic growth opportunities this brings.”

Mundell added, “By giving 100,000 people, and 1,000 companies, the skills and capability they need to drive innovation through big data and artificial intelligence, this partnership working will help maximise the potential of these sectors – a key goal of the UK Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy.”

The Scottish Government’s Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, Michael Matheson said, “The £300m Scottish Government investment in the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal will help deliver inclusive economic growth across the region. The Data-Driven Innovation programme will be key to this, providing a significant step-change in our productivity.”

Matheson added, “We are working to ensure Scotland is an internationally recognised vibrant, inclusive, open and outward-looking digital nation. I welcome the contribution that Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt Universities are making to ensure the new opportunities and benefits created by City Region Deal investment are spread across the region, providing individuals with the digital skills and aptitudes necessary to succeed while helping industry source the talent they need to grow and flourish.”

Professor Charlie Jeffery, Senior Vice Principal, University of Edinburgh, said, “The University’s strengths in data science have been driving innovation in the public and private sectors, for the past decade and more, through our research and the skills our graduates bring into the regional economy. The City Region Deal will now give us the capacity to do much more across a wider range of sectors, including healthcare, robotics and fintech. But perhaps the most important part of the Deal is our commitment to ensure people in the region can build the skills to flourish in the data-driven economy.”

Jeffery said, “So we are working not just in our universities, but also with schools, colleges and businesses so people have the opportunities to develop data skills across their life-course. This could include young people about to enter the workforce, women returning after career breaks, or people looking to reskill in mid-career. We know that data-driven innovation will bring economic growth – we want that growth to be inclusive and open to all.”

Professor Richard A Williams, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University, said, “By working in partnership we can ensure our city community can prosper and achieve its obvious potential as the leading international research hub for digital innovation. Our frontier research and educational skills in digital technology and its application in artificial intelligence and robotics are already shaping and driving the future and taking Scottish innovation to the world.”

Jarmo Eskelinen, the new lead for the ‘Data-Driven Innovation’ initiative, said, “Data is the new soil, and collaboration the seeds. The Data-Driven Innovation initiative is unique in its ambition and scale. It’s been designed to reach out to the whole City Region, so we can develop and test new services to meet the needs of our citizens.”

Eskelinen added, “I am extremely honoured to join the programme team and have the chance to collaborate with and learn from the world-leading experts of the two Universities. I look forward to helping a diverse range of organisations benefit from the fast-developing field of data-driven innovation.”